Perfect Timing
by Kumori sensei
Summary: Naruto is in love with Sasuke and he knows Sasuke loves him too. However, he doesn't do anything about it. Why? Because he wants the moment to be memorable and he can't come up with anything. So, he's left waiting for the moment to come to him and he thinks he's found it when they get stuck in an elevator together. NARUSASU. I own nothing. Enjoy.


**Perfect Timing**

POV: Naruto

I saw him surrounded by a bunch of thugs. I've seen the guy fight before so I know these thugs wouldn't have been a problem for him… under normal circumstances so I would have just walked away. This only applies to him though, I would help anyone out whether they would handle it or not, but this guy is just a jackass—he'd get pissed off if I tried to help him!

These weren't normal circumstances though. He had a broken arm from some previous encounter which meant he was at a distinct disadvantage. I don't know how well he can fight with a broken arm and since he doesn't deserve to be beat up because he's an asshole I'll help him out… even though I'm sure to be bitched at by him the entire time.

This is what leads me to punch the nearest guy in the head with a resigned sigh. Then, with a howl of pain, anger, and confusion he spun around to look at me. He appears to be irritated by my grin.

"Uzumaki!" He exclaimed.

"Hey, how's it going?" I asked.

The whole fight had come to a pause. Uchiha was giving me a death glare that clearly said 'get lost or die'. I chose to ignore that though. The thugs were staring at me in anger and disbelief. It was common knowledge that me and Uchiha just don't get along.

"Why are you siding with him?" A thug asked. "You don't like him any more than we do!"

"Well, actually that doesn't seem all that accurate, seeing as I'm not all that interested in killing the guy as you all obviously are," I said, "and, while yes I don't like him, I also don't hate him. It just so happens I dislike you more."

"Then you can die with him!" He growled.

"If you say so." I shrugged.

With that said the fight began anew. As expected, Uchiha wasn't a happy camper. He seemed as upset about my being here as the thugs did. It really is sad when someone is against help that much.

It took some time but we eventually beat all the thugs. We'd both have a few bruises tomorrow but that's about it. As soon as Uchiha was sure they were all gone he rounded on me and boy did he look pissed. It was hard for me not to laugh but luckily I didn't. It would have only made things worse. Then again my refusal to stop smiling probably wasn't helping much either.

I have to admit, the fact that Uchiha had just spent the last hour ranting and bitching was almost as amusing as it was irritating. To be honest, I didn't think the Uchiha could rant… well, I didn't think he'd allow himself to anyway.

"Hey, you done yet or at least thirsty?" I asked. "I could use a break from your ra—ah, um, speech."

"I will when I know you'll mind your own business next time!" He snapped.

"Look Uchiha, I helped you out knowing I was going to have to listen to all this bitching afterwards when I got into the damn fight!" I snapped back. "So why don't you get over yourself! You can't do everything alone whether you like it or not!"

"I can and I will and either way, your help is the last I'll ever need!" Uchiha retorted.

Okay, so the truth is when I said I disliked the thugs more than Uchiha I was laying. I dislike Uchiha so much more than them. I just don't believe he deserves to be beat up and the thugs would have been the ones to pick the fight, though Uchiha probably provoked them, so I decided to help him. I'm starting to wish I had never helped the guy at all though.

"Fine then, next time I'll sit in the middle of it and wait until you ask me for it!" I growled. "You and your stupid pride will just end up dead if you don't!"

He opened his mouth to make another retort but I was already storming away. I had known this all was coming but apparently I just suck at not reacting to him. It was surprising but he didn't end up yelling some insult at my retreating form. If I wasn't so pissed I would have wondered why, but I was so I didn't.

As I had promised I was sitting on the rail as Uchiha fought off the thugs from last week. He wasn't fairing so well without my help. The thugs were rubbing it in how much of an idiot he was for ostracizing himself from the only person who would bother to help him.

They had been prepared to fight me earlier but when I explained the situation to them they ignored me. They took great pleasure in the situation but I didn't. Uchiha was getting beaten but whenever our eyes met all he did was glare at me. He wasn't going to ask even though he needed it.

I closed my eyes and sighed. I have a feeling my terms are going to be broken in the long run. I'm just not the type of person that can sit by and watch this shit happen. Especially since I'm not all that pissed off anymore. I jumped off the railing I grabbed the arm that was coming down to hit the Uchiha. He looked surprised… well, actually everybody did, Uchiha included.

"That's enough." I said. "Leave him alone."

"You said you were staying out of this unless Uchiha asked for your help!" The thug yelled.

"Yeah, well, I lied." I said. "Now get lost."

"Fuck you, Uzumaki, we'll take you both down!" He howled. "Uchiha's too weak to help you now!"

"I never said you'd be dealing with both of us." I taunted.

I punched the guy whose arm I'm holding in the gut. When he doubled over in pain I smashed him in the face with my knee. He howled in pain as he staggered away. Then I fought the rest of them. It was more difficult than I thought it would be without Uchiha's help but then again I hadn't been anticipating the trials involved with protecting him while fighting everyone.

I groaned when it was over. I think one of them might have fractured a rib or something. Either way, it hurt like hell. I slid to the ground and leaned back against the railing. I had my eyes closed so I don't have the faintest clue what Uchiha is doing but I can hear him approaching. To my great surprise he sits down beside him.

"I'm not going to thank you." He said.

"I didn't expect you to." I said. "Just don't bitch at me and I'm happy."

He snorted at that but I'm just happy my comment didn't lead to him bitching about how he doesn't bitch. Ironically though, in his own way he kinda did just say 'thank you'. Best not to tell him that though. I certainly don't intend to, it would ruin whatever this weird lapse of peace had brought us. It's nice to be able to get along with him for once.

"Your ribs okay?" He asked.

"Well, they're not broken, I can tell you that much." I said.

"Let me see." He sighed.

I opened my eyes to watch him at this point. He was so saying 'thank you' in a roundabout way. I grinned in amusement at this. He's concentrated on my ribs, figuring out how bad it is, and I know he isn't aware of my staring. That's what makes it so interesting that he looks uncomfortable. It was then I remember is gay or at least bi, I can't say for sure which. He's had sex with my best friend and the guy just wouldn't shut up about it. I learned more than I ever wanted to know about this guy then.

Don't get me wrong, I have sex with people and I'm no prude but you don't want to know what your best friend and rival do in a bed together. Still, I'm not sure why he's uncomfortable. It obviously can't be me having a problem with his preference in the gender of his partner seeing as my best friend is bi and all. I decide to try and lighten the mood.

"Hey, if this is what you do in a replacement of a 'thanks'," I said jokingly, "don't ever thank me!"

He snorted and smiled, glancing up at me briefly. I could tell he found it amusing. I grinned at him in reply. He also didn't look as uncomfortable as before. He really wasn't so bad when he wasn't being a dickhead. It might be easier to put up with him now that I've seen this side of him.

"Oh, by the way, you _might_ want to know this." I said with a smirk. "Next time you decide to have sex with my best friend… ah, Kiba, you might want to warn him against broadcasting his sex life with you to everyone he knows."

Uchiha's face went redder than I expected it to. He looked uncomfortable again but in an embarrassed sort of way this time. It's so much fun to tease him like this. He even looks cute right now, enough so that I even have the urge to hug him.

It's weird but I dislike him just as much as I like him. He's just so much easier to dislike that I rarely have good, positive thoughts about him. That also usually leads to my liking him being drowned by my frustration and what have you with him. The truth is though if we could somehow get past the whole killing each other thing I'd really start to like him. Want to date him 'like him'. Well, maybe it can happen.

Now that I think about it, the way he had been uncomfortable earlier is a lot like how Kiba is around… oh. That was unexpected. He likes me? Is he this much of an asshole to everyone he likes? Well, he isn't right now but that's beside the point. I really don't get this guy. Okay, that's not true, I can see what he was doing now.

I can tell he's hardly as secure as he makes himself out to be. He's probably just concerned with how I'd take it, so he hid his liking behind disliking. I guess his asshole-ish-ness isn't going to get to me anymore. I want to make a move now but I know better. He'd be far too suspicious to believe me. I'll have to settle for something more subtle.

"Your ribs are fine." He informs me. "They're only bruised."

"That's good." I said. "So, hey, since I'm actually capable of saying 'thank you', I'll do it by getting you coffee. What do you say?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. He looked remarkably confused, not that I can blame him. It's not a surprise really, only a couple of hours ago I wouldn't even consider doing something like this. I would have down right laughed if someone told him I'd be taking Uchiha out for coffee.

"What? You're not so bad when you're not being an ass." I said. "So, are you coming?"

He hesitated a moment but in the end nodded and followed me to the nearest coffee shot. That made me happy, as I'm hoping this can be the start of friendship between the two of us.

It's amazing how one incident can change one's life so much. We've been the best of friends since we got that coffee. We rarely even get into fights anymore. It's great!

I've been trying to come up with a way to develop our relationship further. I hadn't told Kiba about my feelings towards Sasuke at first. Sasuke would have gotten suspicious that something was up if Kiba suddenly refused to have sex with him. Kiba finally got together with Shino though, so I told him about it and he tries to help me out with it.

See the thing is I _could_ just go up and ask him out but I wanted the whole thing to be memorable. Kiba and I are having trouble coming up with something however. It would have been easy if it could be done in public but that can't happen. We could have had it all planned to a tee but Sasuke would not enjoy that, what with him being very private person and all. This pretty much leaves me waiting for the right moment to just go with it.

The time comes in the most unexpected way. We're in an elevator when it breaks down and we're stuck there. Now, normally I wouldn't use this but I find out Sasuke is claustrophobic. It kind of just happens…

"Are you okay?" I asked. "You look, um, you look scared to be blunt."

"I'm fine Naruto. It's nothing." Sasuke muttered.

I went over to where he was huddled into a corner of the elevator. He was shaking pretty badly. The worst part was I know Sasuke's trying to hide it since he wasn't curled up on the floor. Of course, he's failing terribly at it.

"Let's sit down." I suggested. "It's probably going to take a while."

The fact that he didn't resist my pulling him down said just how affected he was by all of this. I sat far closer to him than was strictly necessary with an elevator with nobody else on it. I was hoping it might help him a bit if I was this close to him. He didn't actually seem to notice though.

"Why won't you tell me what's wrong?" I eventually asked.

It actually hurt that he didn't feel comfortable enough to confide in me. I was careful to make sure that didn't make it into my voice. I mustn't have been able to keep it from my face because I think he saw it in my expression. He had looked over at me and then immediately away which meant he had seen something that had made him feel guilty.

"I'm claustrophobic." Sasuke muttered.

"Oh… why didn't you tell me? We could have taken the stairs!" I said.

"I can handle a few minutes in an elevator Naruto and," Sasuke sighed, "you live on the top floor. It would have been ridiculous to take the stairs."

"It would not! It's not like there's 13 floors, Sasuke, there's 6! It would have been perfectly reasonable to walk!" I exclaimed.

Sasuke stared at me for a few moments. His expression was carefully blank. I don't know why, but whenever I show how much I care about him he gets all… well, it's like he doesn't quite believe me. It means a lot to him, that I care so much, I know that. He acts a bit different, softer maybe, when I get all caring or worried.

He doesn't end up saying anything to me in the end, just turns his gaze away from me. I manage to catch a bit of the blush he's trying to hide from me though and smile.

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

Sasuke doesn't say anything at first but I can see his face flare up. Well, a lot more than it was before. He obviously has something in mind and the thought of admitting it is embarrassing to him. I open my mouth to encourage and coax him but he ends up telling me before I can.

"Hold me." He mumbled.

He has his lip in between his teeth. Sasuke's obviously nervous and I can understand why. I also now get why he was blushing so furiously before. Well, he still is but whatever. I'm surprised I didn't have to coax him into admitting that though I wouldn't have been surprised if I couldn't do that too.

Realizing if I didn't do something soon he was going to feel rejected, I gently slid an arm over his shoulders. I could feel him relax immediately when I touched him, I could see it too. I also heard him left out a soft sigh of relief. I pulled him to me, my heart beating erratically as I did so. I'm sure he must have noticed but he didn't say anything to which I am grateful.

His head was on my chest and my arm was wrapped around his waist, my other hand combing through his hair. I smiled a little when I felt Sasuke nuzzle my neck.

I tried to convince him to let me get into his spot.

"I feel safer in a corner, Naruto." Sasuke told me.

"You'll still be in your corner." I argued.

"How?" Sasuke asked in exasperation and disbelief.

I could feel my ears heating up in a blush. God, he just had to ask me that didn't he?

"You'd be in my lap." I muttered.

"Oh…" Sasuke said.

That did result in him moving out of his spot long enough for me to move into it. Sasuke had then crawled into my lap, his face as red as a tomato. He curled up and buried his face in my neck. His breath tickled me a little but it was easy enough to ignore.

I could feel his breathing become rhythmic and knew he was asleep. I couldn't help but smile. With a relieved sigh, knowing I had done right, I allowed my cheek to rest against his head and ended up falling asleep with him.

The next thing I know I'm being woken up by Sasuke. He looks extremely embarrassed and I don't know why. I was about to ask him when I suddenly noticed all the people in front of us. Feeling awkward, I slowly got to my feet with Sasuke. He left the elevator in a hurry and I knew it had nothing to do with his claustrophobia.

I followed him out, jogging to catch up to where his hurried steps were taking him. Once I'd caught up with him I slung an arm over his shoulders. Sasuke jumped in surprise and glanced at my grinning face but made no protests. I looked over my shoulder to see the people had left and my grin became devious. I've decided now is the time.

The tips of my fingers tipped his chin upward even as I leaned down. I closed my eyes as I kissed him. We came to a stop, incidentally right outside my door. My hand caressed his cheek for a moment and then I pulled away. Sasuke still looked stunned. He hadn't responded to my kiss but I wasn't too concerned. I opened my door and stepped inside.

"Are you coming in," I asked, "or are you just going to stand there gawking at nothing all day?"

That snapped him out of it. Sasuke stormed inside and slammed the door behind him. For a moment I was worried that I'd done something wrong, especially when Sasuke fisted my shirt. That changed when he jerked me forward and crashed our lips together. I rested my hands on his hips as I kissed back and Sasuke's travelled up around my neck. I gently pushed him backwards until he hit the door. Then I brought our bodies flush together, one hand drifting up into his hair.

"What is this?" Sasuke asked with a soft moan.

"What do you think this is?" I asked before nibbling on his ear.

I thought it would be obvious but apparently not. Sasuke looked away, he thought I wanted him but only in the physical sense. He probably would have been more than eager about it if he didn't want more. Then again, Sasuke wouldn't have asked if he didn't.

"It's not that." I told him.

I did want him in the physical sense but not only in that way, this was more than that. Sasuke looked up at me, searching my eyes for the truth. For once, his expression was unguarded and everything was laid out before me. I could see how much he wanted this, how desperate he was to have it, how scared he was of it not being there. I could see so much in his eyes.

"I want you in every way, in every meaning of the word," I whispered, "and only you."

At this point my arms were already wrapped around his waist and I was holding him tightly against me. Sasuke smiled at me and looked so unbelievably happy. All I could think of was how much I wanted to keep that expression on his face forever.

"Well, you aren't getting all of me just yet." Sasuke murmured in my ear.

Sasuke kissed me again and I smiled into it. He was smiling too. When he pulled away I put our foreheads together. Sasuke had unwound his arms from my neck. Now his wrists rested on my shoulders as his fingers played with my hair.

"I didn't expect to. You were never that easy." I said. "That's just another thing I love about you."

Looking at him now, I think Sasuke might be on the verge of tears. Suddenly, I find myself sitting on my ass. He knocked me down! What the hell? Feeling utterly confused I start to look up only to find him settling into my lap. One of his arms wraps around my shoulders and his other is resting on my arm. His head is on my shoulder.

Realizing what just happened I chuckle lightly. I bring my arms around him and hold him tight.

"Was it the right timing?" I asked.

"Right timing, what are you talking about?" Sasuke asked confused.

"I've known for a while now how you felt. I just wanted to make this memorable."

"…You're such a dobe sometimes. When did you find out?"

"I'm a sweet one though and yours! Oh and when I asked you out for coffee!"

"You… How could you have possibly known me well enough not to bring it up back then? We both know you would have otherwise."

"Well, I've liked you for a long time too."

"Che, Dobe. Yes, this was perfect timing." Sasuke murmured.

I hummed to show my pleasure. This day is truly wonderful or well, I'd even go so far as to call it perfect.


End file.
